ARDRAHAN farmer and current Connacht IFA Chair, Pat Murphy, has confirmed that he will be running as a candidate for the national Deputy President’s position, in the elections to be held towards the end of this year.

Both the IFA National President, Tim Cullinan (Tipperary) and the current Deputy President, Brian Rushe (Kildare) will have concluded their 4-years spells at the helm of the organisation next January.

Pat Murphy told the Farming Tribune that he had made up his mind to go for the position of Deputy President and was in the process of organising his election team both at parish and county level.

“I know that it is a big undertaking and of course I am depending on a lot of my friends and supporters to help me out but it’s a campaign that we’re looking forward to,” said Pat Murphy.

He said that one of the big issues facing farmers – and particularly in the West of Ireland – was the whole issue of rewetting farmland that had been drained and turned into productive farmland over the course of the past 70-years.

“This issue is going to be a huge one in the West of Ireland over the coming years and is based on EU proposals to return our land to the way it was 70-years ago.

“We just can’t let this happen. Farmers have done great work to maintain a viable and productive way of life and in the process have made a valuable to the overall Irish economy.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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